After a year and a half of preparation, Harper's Bazaar launched on September 20, 2013. "Our core target is working adult women. We want a fashion magazine with a mature, not too edgy, high quality, and a wide range of tastes. We wanted to create a high-quality magazine that would appeal to women of all ages, from their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and that adult women could read and use," said Editor-in-Chief Mori. After countless target mapping exercises, they identified the most BAZAAR-like target.

Editor-in-Chief Mori (who oversees content and business aspects) decided on a direction for the launch: to differentiate the magazine from other magazines by faithfully expressing the DNA of the original Harper's Bazaar.

One way to achieve this was to include a best-of cover collection from 1867 to the present as an appendix to the inaugural issue. Another was to open the magazine from the left, meaning the text would be set horizontally. Until now, there had been no fashion magazines written in horizontal format, so the magazine aimed to differentiate itself from other magazines.

"There were mixed opinions within the company about this, but in the end, considering its compatibility with digital, horizontal formatting would avoid the problems that arise when converting from vertical to horizontal. The layout also felt more integrated with the magazine, so we decided on it."

In the end, it was well received by readers and clients, with some saying it was as beautiful as a Western book.

The magazine also aimed to diversify its monetization efforts beyond the magazine itself, through online, commerce, events, and more. One example was the launch of ShopBAZAAR. For the launch, a BAZAAR shopping site appeared within I ONLINE at the Isetan Shinjuku store.

"We want to continue our commerce efforts," said Editor-in-Chief Mori. In addition to commerce, the magazine held a launch event at Isetan Shinjuku and a preview screening of a new fashion film selected by the editorial department at Roppongi Hills. The preview, available earlier than anywhere else, was sure to satisfy fashion-conscious BAZAAR readers.

Editor-in-Chief Mori says that until about 15 years ago, magazines could survive solely as print media. Back then, editors only needed to be able to create plans, cast, write well, and create visuals. Now, however, we're in an era where editors can comprehensively plan print (print), digital, commerce, and even events. In some cases, monetization skills are also required. ShopBAZAAR is an important initiative that the US edition is actively promoting, and it is expected to play a key role in extending the fashion magazine's brand.

Carline Roitfeld (former editor-in-chief of Paris Vogue), currently global fashion director of Harper's BAZAAR, is one of the most influential women in the fashion world. She has a contract with BAZAAR International to create six fashion pages per year, which she provides to each edition. Of course, her page can also be found in the Japanese edition. She's a charismatic personality, highly popular with readers and clients alike. She's a mysterious figure, able to elevate anyone's fashion sense with just a subtle presence. In April, the film "Mademoiselle C," a film following her private life, will be released in Japan.

The magazine began publishing bimonthly this year, but when asked whether it will become monthly, they said it's not yet time to decide. Now is the time to establish a solid image for BAZAAR's target women, and rather than rushing ahead and making it a monthly with a watered-down content, they chose to wait and see how things go and carefully develop the magazine. However, Editor-in-Chief Mori's approach has always been to assess changes in the times and be prepared to shift gears quickly when the time comes.

In the past, readers would interact with the magazine and may have preferred it to be published biweekly or monthly, but with the advent of the digital age, what's expected of a fashion magazine is not speed or quantity, but rather higher-quality photography and articles.

We are also in an era where fashion magazines are exploring ways for digital and print media to coexist, rather than comparing one over the other. Harper's Bazaar, led by Editor-in-Chief Mori, is sure to usher in a new era for fashion magazines.

This concludes the Japan Fashion Magazine Chronicle. Return to the first installment of the first part.